Of sport and emotion

Sport has a way of playing with emotions. Irrespective of nationality, distance or even the current emotional state, win and loss bring a range of emotions. The surge of adrenaline makes Manchester and Mankhurd feel the same. As our heroes transcend struggles on our behalves to bring us victory, we exult in knowing we’ve won. That moment makes everyday emotions seem a travesty. It is perhaps why, watching our heroes fall is that much harder.

The recent events in the world of sport have served a reminder that like life, even sport isn’t a bed of roses. Wrestling will not be an Olympic sport from 2020. Since the decision takes action a long time into the future, it does not cause as much angst. There is hope that the federations will protest and get the decision reversed. It has even brought the USA and Iran together.

Perhaps the most disturbing news is that of Oscar Pistorius. The South African blade runner is accused of shooting a girl. You would think losing two legs would build in him a value for life that makes killing a crime unthinkable. Apparently he has also been involved in another shooting. Whichever way this prosecution goes, he has certainly lost his fans and the position of achievement that he had reached.

On the other end of the spectrum, bringing joy to sports lovers is Rafael Nadal‘s comeback. After Sachin Tendulkar‘s elbow, Nadal’s knee is the joint most prayed for. The local ‘Janta’ bar does not count as a joint. He has won an ATP tournament since his return. The world wants him to resume his rivalry with Federer. The Djoker and Murray are trying their best, but rivalries with them aren’t that amusing. The grass and clay in me beckon for a Federer-Nadal final again.

In the world of cricket, South Africa have graduated from choking on a few runs to strangling opposing teams, albeit in the longer format. Yes, the matches against Pakistan were 5 day Test matches which ended as a campaign by the ICC to bring the innovation of 3-4 day tests. These premature losses have forced the PCB to call back the players’ wives and families. It was probably because the wives were shouting at the husbands for not taking them shopping. Perhaps the third Test will go the distance. The India vs Australia match should. Both teams are inexperienced. India has home advantage, but Australia boast of a far superior bowling attack. The outcome of this series will decide the most-asked question, second only to ‘Who is Afzal Guru?’ – Will the Pope’s retirement influence Sachin’s retirement?

It is also a decision that plays with the emotions of people. He goes, a billion people lose their religion, which could be a big relief seeing as religion cause a lot of fights. Coming back to the point of emotions, sport has traditionally posed the conundrum between whether to watch, or to finish the all important work that the boss gave last Monday. Generally, ‘to watch’ wins, because the emotion involved in sport trumps the abundance of it invested in work.

Major events this week have been far too few, almost numbing the sports enthusiast within. Yet, the hope of tomorrow keeps it alive. Sport is just an extension of selfish happiness. So, as long as humans are alive, sport can never die.